Nissan just earned itself a Guinness World Record no less, this for the longest drive in an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) without refuelling. Someone or someones drove a Qashqai e-Power across Colombia and managed 1,980 km on a single tank of gas. It's not clear whether the vehicle ran out of fuel at that moment or if it just stopped driving when it hit the coast, but we can't help wonder why driver of said vehicle didn't just drive around in circles for another 20 km to hit that milestone 2,000-km mark. But maybe that's just us.
From Bogota to the sea
In the event, the three-day trek, completed between July 14th and 17th, spanned the South American country from Bogotá to the Caribbean coast across a wide variety of terrain, climates and driving conditions. With the Qashqai’s 55-litre fuel tank, the vehicle recorded an average fuel consumption of just 2.78L/100 km.
What’s e-Power?
Unlike conventional hybrid setups, Nissan’s e-Power architecture uses an electric motor and nothing else to drive the wheels. Power for that is supplied by a compact 2.1-kWh high-voltage battery, which is charged on the go by the 1.5L 3-cylinder gas engine. In other words, the engine acts strictly as a generator.
In this system, there’s no recharging and thus no plug-in port, and nor is there a traditional transmission. And that means drivers get the seamless acceleration, instant torque and whisper-quiet cabin of a full electric vehicle, alongside the refueling convenience of a traditional gas-engine car.
See: 2027 Nissan Rogue e-Power First Drive: A Hybrid Like No Other
The record-setting run was designed of course to highlight the efficiency of Nissan’s third-generation, modular 5-in-1 e-Power powertrain. By integrating the electric motor, generator, inverter, reducer and multiplier into one unit alongside regenerative braking technology, the system continuously optimizes energy usage without sacrificing driving dynamics.
e-Power coming to the Rogue
While the Qashqai itself was discontinued in North America after 2023, the record-breaking EREV technology is headed to the continent soon. Nissan plans to launch the technology in late 2026 aboard the 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid, promising a 20-percent improvement in efficiency over the current model.
Nissan is not alone in recognizing the appeal of extended-range powertrains. Automakers ranging from Ram and Ford to Kia are also shifting upcoming electrified pickup trucks toward EREV architectures to eliminate range anxiety while still benefiting from the advantages of an electric powertrain.